Curtain-fixture



D. HOYT.

CURTAIN FIXTURE.

APPLICATION EILED IUNE 30,1919.

Patented Apr. 6, 1920.

DAN IEL I-IOYT, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TOi-THE NATIONAL LOOK WASHER COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEWJERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW ERSEY.

CURTAIN-FIXTU E.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 6,

. Application filed June 30,1919. Serial 1To.'30 7,723.

New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curtain-Fixtures;

and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,

. such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. i g

This invention relates to curtain fixtures, in which a spring tensioned roll is employed at the top, and constantly tends to wind the curtain up, the bottom of the curtain being equipped with the curtain fixtures which operate in grooves at the sides of the window frame. a V

This curtain fixture is designed as an improvement on my patented curtain fixtureset forth in my U. S. LettersPa-tent No.

676,557, issued June 18, 1901, wherein a locking cam is employed which operates directly against the floor of the grooves in the window casing and rigidly locks the curtain against-upward movement, also pre venting the movement of the rollers which track agalnst the grooves. In my present improvement I employ a locking cam which operates directly on the rollerto prevent it from revolving in one direction and to thereby hold the curtain against the tension of the main curtain roll, the rollers being free to revolve in the opposite direction when the curtain is pulled down.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a horizontal broken sectional view of my improved curtain fixture, and

Fig. 2 is an end view.

Referring to the drawing, 1 represents a metallic tube made as long as the width of the curtain, 2 is a head preferably made ofsheet metal and formed with a channel way 3, 4 is the shank to one end of which the head 2 is secured, said shank being of a diameter to slide freely within the end of the tube. A rod 5 is secured to the inner end of the shank 4 and extends within the tube 1 to near the center thereof, the inner end being screw threaded as shown at 6. I

On the rod 5 is placed a coil spring 7 one end of which bears against the shank 4 the other end abutting against a collar 8 secured on the rod 5;

In the channel way 3 of the head 2 is pivoted a roller 9 which may be smooth or corrugated, such roller extending outwardly beyond the head 2. At the ends of the head 2 are pivoted antifriction rollers 10, 11,

which extend slightly beyond the head 2 but not so far in this respect as the main roller 9.

' These rollers 10, 11, are merely anti-friction rollers serving to steadythe movements of the head andpossibly to render it more s'table, but they are not necessary and may be eliminated, if desired.

Above the roller 9 is pivoted a locking cam 12 and a similar cam 13 is pivoted below said roller. The upper cam 12 is so pivoted that its gravity will cause the cam to contactthe circumference of the roller 9., while the similar cam below said roller will by gravity drop away from the latter as shown 'and'will, therefore, lie dor'mant, but should the head be reversed in'installing the curtain the lower cam then becomesthe upper cam and will contact the roller while the upper cam will become the lower cam and V is in the uppermost position when the fixture,

is installed. I In assembling the fixture the threaded end of the rod 5 is screwed into the shank of a suitable finger piece 14 which is usual indevices of this description. y

When the fixture is attached toa curtain and properly adjusted in the window frame the roller 9 is driven by the spring 7 firmly against the floor of the groove in the window casing, and the uppermost locking camwill rest on top of this roller 9, as shown in the drawings.

'VVhen the spring tensioned roll at the top of the curtain exerts its force to roll the curtain up,fthe natural tendency would be for the roller 9 to revolve outwardly but the locking cam instantly wedges against the roller to prevent it from turning in that direction, and such roller then becomes a friction member which holds the curtain against the action of the main roll at the top thereof.

To operate the curtain, the proper method is to compress the finger pieces 14, which' withdraws the rollers from contact with the grooves in the casing, and the fixture is then free to move either up or down, but many passengers, through carelessness or ignorance,'grasp the curtain at the bottom and push it up or pull it down, and they often bend the tube or leave the curtain in an unsightly tilted. position or pull the fixture out of the grooves.

With my improved curtain fixture, if the curtain is pushed up by grasping the bottom, the spring 7 will yield, and if one side of the curtain is pulled down the opposite side will roll down on the roller making this practically a self righting curtain fixture.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described, comprising atube, a spring pressed shank slidable in the end of the tube, a channel head secured to said shank, a roller pivoted within said head and extending beyond the same, and a locking cam pivoted in said head above the roller said cam preventing the turning of said roller in One direction but allowing it free movement in the opposite direction.

2. A curtain fixture head, comprising a roller pivoted therein and extending beyond the Same, and a locking cam pivoted in the head above the roller and operating to prevent movement of the latter in one direction but allowing free movement in the opposite direction.

3. A reversible curtain fixture head, comprising a channeled head, a roller pivoted therein and extending therebeyond, and

locking cams pivoted within said head 1 above and below the tube, friction rollers pivoted within the head at the ends thereof, a centrally disposed roller pivoted within the head and extending therebeyond and adapted to contact the floor of the groove in the window casing, the friction rollers be ing out of contact with said groove when the fixture is in a horizontal position but adapted to bear when the fixture is tilted,

and gravity cams pivoted within said head above and below said central roller and adapted to contact therewith to prevent revolution of said roller in one direction, the

lowermost cam always dropping by gravity out of contact with the central roller.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL HOYT.

Witnesses:

, A. E. LEYLAND,

WILLIAM F. ScHANz. 

